High-capacity IP networks are emerging as critical infrastructure for the global AI economy, enabling distributed AI workloads across data centers and clouds. Michael Wheeler of NTT DATA highlighted that these networks act as the “spinal cord” connecting physical compute infrastructure like GPUs, ensuring effective utilisation.The greatest pressure points in global internet infrastructure are shifting towards the network edge, particularly for latency-sensitive AI inference applications. This evolution is happening rapidly and is less predictable than ongoing training requirements, pushing demand towards metro and regional network infrastructure over core subsea and terrestrial.NTT DATA, a major tier-one global backbone operator, is observing significant growth in demand for its services from the Asia-Pacific region, marked by a substantial increase in 400G port uptake. North America and Europe also remain strong markets. Customer segments driving this growth include content delivery networks, major cloud companies with AI initiatives, and the gaming sector.Network resilience, redundancy, and security are more crucial than ever due to increased reliance on consistent connectivity for hybrid work environments. While evolving cyber threats, including those powered by AI, pose challenges, advancements in security tools are helping to mitigate these risks and ensure network integrity.
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